What Are the Motivational Factors for Developers to Develop Shopping Or Strip-Malls in Suburban as Opposed to Urban Areas

Retail development is becoming a more complex process of decision-making based on location and size of development in a suburban area. There are many different issues that a developer must consider when deciding upon a particular location in space, as well as the size the area may be able to support. Theories exist that assist in the decision-making process of retail development. I will examine central-place theory in the effort to explain location, size functional characteristics, and the spacing of the retail clusters of activity. Rent-bid theory will be examined in order to explain the process of acquiring land to develop. The purpose of this study is to look at two forms of development, pioneer and agglomeration, and the many different variables that must be considered when looking to develop. My primary focus on this phenomenon will be the Montrose and summit Mall areas on the north-western side of Akron. Through the examination of the different theories and variables that may be involved in the decision-making process of retail development, I found the consideration of the variables to be of great importance. As the space continues to \u27fill up\u27, the consideration of these variables becomes detrimental to the success of a retail establishment. In the Montrose and Summit Mall areas, the variables of analysis seemed to fit the \u27mold\u27 of the theories that were addressed, as well as the hypothesis that is presented in this study